Conventional cable protection and guide devices are known in the prior art. Typically, upper edge portions and lower edge portions of a pair of spaced and opposed link plates with the same shape are respectively connected using a flap and a bottom plate as connecting members.
In the typical arrangement of a protection and guide chain, the flap includes a pivoting engagement portion and a securing engagement portion in its longitudinal direction. The flap is pivotably attached to an upper end portion of a link plate. The flap can be respectively detached or attached and opened or closed from both end sides.
Patent Reference 1 is Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 10-47441.
Patent Reference 2 is Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-120807.
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the protection and guide chains in Patent References 1 and 2, when an opening/closing structure is pivoted about the other end in a longitudinal direction of a flap to be opened and closed, a force from the cable or hose inside the cable protection and guide can arise apply a biased load on the flap. Unfortunately, the flap can then be inadvertently disengaged. Further, one end of the flap on the longitudinal direction may bite into the cable or hose during the opening and closing of the flap. As a result, the cable or hose may be damaged.
Additionally, in the protection and guide chains in the prior art, for example Patent References 1 and 2, at least one end of a flap must be opened so that a cable or a hose accommodated inside is exposed for maintenance. As a result, maintenance is increased when inadvertent disengagement or loss of the flap occurs.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a cable protection and guide device which uses connecting plates strongly secured to the device. As a result, even if a force comes from inside the protection and guide device, the connecting plates are not disengaged. Further, damage to the cable during opening/closing of the flap is avoided. Assembling and disassembling of the chain is also greatly simplified.
Means for Solving the Problems
The invention attains the above-mentioned object with a cable or the like protection and guide device that has a number of pairs of right and left spaced side plates connected to each other in a longitudinal direction. Louver type connecting plates are detachably bridged over flexional inner circumferential sides and flexional outer circumferential sides of side plates in predetermined intervals. A cable is accommodated in a cable accommodating space surrounded by side plates and louver type connecting plates along the longitudinal direction. A connecting plate engagement mechanism has a louver body which is pivoted about a pair of right and left supporting shafts. The right and left supporting shafts are formed at both ends of the louver type connecting plate in a protruded manner and are attachably fitted onto the pair of right and left side plates. The louver body is secured in an engaged manner. The connecting plate engagement mechanism is provided between the louver type connecting plate and the side plate.
The invention includes a connecting plate engagement mechanism comprised by a width direction positioning portion, a pivot restricting portion, and a bridge state holding portion. In the width direction position portion the supporting shaft of the louver type connecting plate and a fitting shaft hole in the side plate are engaged with each other.
The supporting shaft includes a partially cut out concave portion/convex portion combination arrangement. In the pivot restricting portion the supporting shaft of the louver type connecting plate and a fitting shaft hole in the plate are engaged with each other in a partially cut out concave portion/convex portion combination arrangement. A bridge state holding portion wherein a louver body of the louver type connecting plate and a protruded tongue piece supporting portion formed on an inner side of the side plate are engaged in a cut out concave portion/convex portion combination arrangement.
The invention includes a configuration where both ends of the louver body abut on the inner sides of the side plates in a bridged state of the louver type connecting plate.
Effects of the Invention
First, a number of pairs of right and left spaced side plates are connected to each other in a longitudinal direction. Louver type connecting plates are detachably bridged over flexional inner circumferential sides and flexional outer circumferential sides of the side plates with predetermined intervals. A cable, hose, or similar structures can be accommodated in a cable accommodating space surrounded by the side plates and the louver type connecting plates along the longitudinal direction.
Further, a connecting plate engagement mechanism has a louver body which includes the louver type connecting plate. The louver type connecting plate is pivoted about a pair of right and left supporting shafts which are formed at both ends of the louver type connecting plate in a protruded manner. The louver type connecting plate is attachably fitted onto the pair of right and left side plates so that the louver body is secured in an engaged manner. The connecting plate engagement mechanism is provided between the louver type connecting plate and the side plate.
Even if a force is generated by the cable from within the guide device, a strong connection between louver type connecting plates and the supporting shafts prevents inadvertent disengagement.
The pair of right and left supporting shafts formed at both ends of the louver type connecting plate in a protruded manner is fit onto the pair of right and left side plates. The louver type connecting plate is supported on the pair of right and left side plates at both ends of the louver type connecting plate and the supporting shafts. Thus, a strong connection is formed so that an inadvertent disengagement can be completely avoided. Further, since both ends of the louver type connecting plates are simultaneously fitted into the pair of right and left side plates during operation of opening and closing the connecting plates, bite damage due to offset of the cable accommodated inside can be completely avoided during the operation of opening and closing of the connecting plates.
Additionally, the louver body of the louver type connecting plate is formed so that it can be pivoted or rotated about a pair of right and left supporting shafts. The louver type connecting plate is pivoted with respect to the side plate, so that the louver body can be raised without having to be removed from the side plate during maintenance of the cable. Thus, the cable can be easily exposed, attaining easy access for maintenance of the cable from the outside.
Further, the connecting plate engagement mechanism comprises a width direction positioning portion where the supporting shaft of the louver type connecting plate and a fitting shaft hole in the plate are engaged with each other in a partially cut out concave and convex portion combination arrangement. The connecting plate engagement mechanism also has a pivot restricting portion where the supporting shaft of the louver type connecting plate and a fitting shaft hole in the plate are engaged with each other in a partially cut out concave portion/convex portion combination arrangement. A bridge state holding portion wherein a louver body of the louver type connecting plate and a protruded tongue piece supporting portion formed on an inner side of the side plate are engaged in a cut out concave portion/convex portion combination arrangement.
In addition to the structure discussed above, when the louver type connecting plate is incorporated to the side plates, the above-described width direction positioning portion correctly positions and guides the louver type connecting plate without displacing it in the width direction with respect to the side plate as the side plate rises. Then the incorporated louver type connecting plate is moved as a lid-like element with respect to the side plates, the above-described pivot restricting portion rotates the supporting shaft of the louver type connecting plate in the fitting shaft hole of the side plate and positions and guides the louver body of the louver type connecting plate to the lid position. When the incorporated and rotated louver type connecting plate is held at the lid position, the above-described bridge state holding portion allows the louver body of the louver type connecting plate to engage with the tongue piece supporting portion formed on the inner side of the side plate in a concave portion/convex portion combination thereby, holding the bridge state of the louver type connecting plate. Further, assembly and disassembly operations such as attachment and detachment of the louver type connecting plate and the like can be easily and efficiently attained.
Both ends of the louver body abut on the inner sides of the side plates in a bridged state of the louver type connecting plate. In addition to the effect obtained by the invention mentioned above, when the cable protection and guide device protects and guides a cable in a flexed state, even if a shearing force is received that crushes the cable in the width direction, both ends of the louver body entirely abut on the inner sides of the side plates thereby to strongly ensure the cable accommodating space surrounded by side plates and louver type connecting plates. Thus, excellent size stability and endurance of the cable protection and guide device can be exhibited even in flexion and stretch operations for long periods of time.
The strong engagement of the connecting plates prevents inadvertent disengagement even if a force arises from the inside of the cable guide and protection device where the cable is being stored in the cable accommodating space. Further, bite damage of the cable or stored structure during the opening and closing operation of the connecting plate is avoided. Also, the assembly and disassembly of the connecting plate is easy. These benefits are realized by a cable or the like protection and guide device having the following structure: a number of pairs of right and left spaced side plates connected to each other in a longitudinal direction; louver type connecting plates detachably bridged over flexional inner circumferential sides and flexional outer circumferential sides of the side plates in predetermined intervals; and, such that a cable is accommodated in a cable accommodating space surrounded by the side plates. The louver type connecting plates along the longitudinal direction of this structure are further characterized by a connecting plate engagement mechanism in which a louver body of the louver type connecting plate is pivoted about a pair of right and left supporting shafts which protrude at both ends of the louver type connecting plate. The pair of right and left supporting shafts of the louver type connecting plate are attachably fitted onto the pair of right and left side plates, so that the louver body is secured in an engaged manner between the louver type connecting plate and the side plate. The present invention is set forth herein by way of example only and those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure will realize that the invention disclosed herein may be used in many different embodiments of the cable protection and guide device.
The side plate and the louver type connecting plate in the cable guide and protection device are made of engineering plastic resins. The resins endure flexion during flexional movement and exhibit excellent size stability in a cable-holding form. Resins such as polyamide 6, polyamide 12, polyamide 46, polyamide 66, acryl, polyacetal or the like, which are easy to mold, may be used. When a polyamide 6-GF composition, in particular, is used, the GF (glass fiber) formulated in polyamide 6 create high rigidity and further exhibit excellent stability of the device. Thus, the polyamide 6-GF composition is preferable.
Although the louver type connecting plates used in the cable protection and guide device according to the present invention are detachably bridged over the flexional inner circumferential side and the flexional outer circumferential side of the side plates, they may be used on the flexional outer circumferential side of the side plates only. Alternatively, the louver type connecting plates may be bridged over every side plate or intermittently in the longitudinal direction.
Further, the side plates may be arranged such that the front side plate portion is connected to a preceding side plate and a rear side plate portion is connected to the subsequent side plate by a connecting pin mechanism. The connecting pin mechanism, which connects the side plates to each other and pivotably flexes them, may be arranged in an offset manner between a rear side plate portion of the preceding side plate and a front side plate portion of a side plate subsequent to the rear side plate portion.
Additionally, a side plate having the form may be used wherein a front side plate portion connected to a preceding side plate, a rear side plate portion connected to the subsequent side plate, and a flexible coupling portion is integrally interposed between the front side plate portion and the rear side plate portion. A snap-fit mechanism, which connects the side plates to each other, is provided between a rear side plate portion of a preceding side plate and a front side plate portion of a side plate subsequent to the rear side plate portion. In the latter case, an inadvertent disengagement of the side plate at a coupling portion due to repeated flexional operations is avoided. The load likely to occur at a flexed portion during the restriction of a flexional position is avoided so that excellent endurance is achieved. Also, the maintenance is reduced by using fewer parts and assembly is performed easily.
Further, when a flexible coupling is used, the side plates include a linear position holding surface for holding a cable in a linear position and a flexional position restricting surface for restricting the cable during flexure of the device. These linear position holding surfaces and the flexional position restricting surface may be provided on any portion on the flexional outer circumferential side or flexional inner circumferential side of a side plate other than a coupling portion of the side plate. These linear position holding surfaces and the flexional position restricting surface may be provided even on an end surface or a side surface of the side plate.
Again, to repeat, the linear position holding surface is formed on either the flexional outer circumferential side portion or on a flexional inner circumferential side portion rather than the coupling portion thereof. Again, to repeat, the flexional position restricting surface is formed on a flexional outer circumferential side portion or on a flexional inner circumferential side portion rather than the coupling portion of the side plate. A load at the coupling portion is avoided so that excellent endurance is achieved. The coupling portion becomes a flexional portion during the restriction of flexional position. Since the surface contact load between side plates generated during restriction of flexional position and during holding of linear position is dispersed into two parts on the flexional outer circumferential side and the flexional inner circumferential side, the linear connection state and the flexional connection state can be endurably and reliably held. Thus such an arrangement of the linear position holding surface and the flexional position restricting surface is preferred.